Dream Not of Creme Brulee
by SophieDevereauxtoo
Summary: Seven and Beverly continue to get to know each other.


Dream Not of Crème Brulee

"Tell me about your life."  
"What?"  
"What do you do for work? What do you do for fun? What is your life like on Voyager?"

"Those are a lot of questions," Seven says with a tease in her voice. "Can you narrow it down a bit?"

She's sitting on the sofa in Beverly's bungalow. Beverly's head is resting on her shoulder and her arm is wrapped tight around her.

Seven was prepared to have sex again but Beverly asked for a resting period. She finds that she enjoys this as well, just sitting and holding Beverly. Borg do not touch each other unless there is a specific reason to do so, adjusting or repairing an implant for example. Since she was removed from the Borg Collective, Seven had not sought out physical contact from others, not wanting or needing that from anyone. Now though, she finds the warmth of Beverly's skin touching hers to be incredibly soothing. She has learned many things this day and finding comfort in another being's touch is one of the more surprising. She thinks back to all of the times Captain Janeway touched her shoulder or hand in an attempt to comfort her.

"I understand now," she says out loud.  
"What do you understand?"  
"Why humans crave physical contact. It is very pleasant. I can see how it can be used to provide comfort as well as for sexual contact. I must remember to tell Captain Janeway that I now appreciate the times she has attempted to touch me."

Beverly laughs. "Captain Janeway tries to touch you often?"  
Seven starts to reply when she figures out the joke Beverly was trying to make. She laughs. "Captain Janeway has never tried to touch me in the way that you do. I would not allow her to. She does like to put her hand on my shoulder or give me a hug when she feels I am upset."  
"She sounds like a very good captain. Tell me about her."

"Captain Janeway made the decision to separate me from The Collective. Since that time she has been a mentor and a friend to me. It is she who encourages me to find my humanity."  
"And how do you feel about that?"  
"I don't understand?"  
"How do you feel about being separated from the Borg, being returned to human?"  
"I don't know. No one has ever asked me before."  
"Not even when they took you from The Collective?"  
"No. I was not given a choice."  
"That's not right. What did you want?"  
"I wanted to be returned to The Collective. I was angry. I didn't know that then. I didn't understand emotions. Borg do not have them. But I was angry. And scared. I was alone. I could not remember a time that I had ever been alone. It was truly frightening."  
"Did you ever tell her that?"  
"No."  
"You should. I don't know the circumstances but it seems as though you were not given any choices in what happened to you."  
"Like when the Borg assimilated me? I was not given a choice then either."

Beverly isn't sure how to respond to that. The conversation stirs up many old feelings for her, what happened to Captain Picard, what they almost did to Hugh. Their reasons were admirable but their methods were not. No one, not even a Borg should be treated in such a way. Her heart hurts for what Seven had to experience.

"What about now?" she asks softly. "How do you feel about it now?"  
Seven shrugs. "I have never thought about it. I did not like nor dislike my life as a Borg. I would have lived that life and not known any different had it not been for Captain Janeway. I have not considered my life as a human to be good or bad. There are many things that I enjoy, things I could never experience as a Borg. Friendship for instance. There are also times that I am very lonely. Perhaps it was good that the Captain did not ask for my opinion at the time. I would have chosen to return and would have missed out on many pleasures."

Beverly thinks on that for a few seconds. "If you had the choice now, knowing everything you do, what would you choose?"  
"I would choose this life. I have Captain Janeway. I have friends. I have you."

Her words startle Beverly. Does she have her? Is this the start of something? Not just a weekend fling? The last thing she is looking for is a relationship of any kind, especially with someone assigned to another ship. She's had her fill of StarFleet romances. But there's something about Seven that touches her deep inside. It makes her feel good to think that there might be something to build on.

She's shaken out of her reverie by Seven's voice.  
"Beverly? Did I say something wrong?"  
"No. You're fine. You just gave me some things to think about. I'm glad that things worked out for you, that your like your life. I was involved in separating a Borg from the Collective as well. Things didn't work out so well for him."  
"Hugh."  
"Yes. Hugh."  
"You gave him the choice though, did you not?"  
"In the end, yes we did. He chose to go back but our interference changed him. He was never able to be truly Borg again."  
"I am aware of his fate. It was not your fault. By StarFleet's rules and your own morality, you did the right thing."  
Beverly sighs. "Sometimes, even doing the right thing, it still ends badly."  
"I believe this is part of what it means to be human."  
Beverly smiles.  
"You're right. We do the best we can. It's also very human to regret our choices, to feel guilt or to wonder what we could have done differently."

Seven doesn't answer, she only pulls her arm tighter around Beverly's shoulder.

"You know, Seven," Beverly muses, "I think that you and Captain Janeway don't give yourself enough credit. I think you are one of the most human beings I have ever met."  
"I admit," Seven answers, "that I have never felt more human than I do right now."

Her words touch Beverly's heart and she feels tears welling up in her eyes. Seven becomes concerned.

"Are you OK?" she asks, touching her finger to the tear on Beverly's cheek.  
Beverly nods.  
"Then why are you crying?'  
"I don't know. I just think that I really like you Seven."  
"I like you too Beverly. I like you a lot."

She gently presses her lips to Beverly's and Beverly kisses her back.

"Will you teach me about sexy food now?" Seven asks softly.  
"In a minute. Right now I just want you to hold me."  
"It would be my pleasure."

Beverly brings the dessert and a spoon back to the sofa. Seven examines it. "It is sweet? A dairy product?"  
"It's called creme brûlée. It's one of my favorites."  
"Brûlée is French for burnt, is it not?"  
Beverly laughs. "Yes but in this case it just means that the sugar on top is heated until it creates a hard shell. Not burnt per se, but close. See?"  
She taps the top of the brûlée with the back of her spoon and watches it crack.  
"Here, taste this," she says as she picks up a bit of the sugar with the thick white custard underneath.

Seven takes the offered food into her mouth then licks her lips, giving Beverly the exact visual she was hoping for.  
"Do you like it?" Beverly asks, staring at a small blob of custard still clinging to Seven's lip.  
"I do. I find the hard texture and bitterness of the burnt sugar to be a pleasant contrast to the sweet cream. There is another flavor as well, one that I do not recognize."  
"Amaretto."  
"Amaretto?"  
"It's a liquor made from an earth fruit called an almond."

Seven smiles. "Apparently there is no end to the pleasant things the things I am learning today. Please explain how this is considered sexy?"  
"Well, by itself it's not. But when eaten in an intimate setting, it can be. Let me show you."  
She spoons another mouthful to Seven, being sure to let a bit linger on her bottom lip. Before Seven can remove it, she leans in and takes the lip into her mouth, gently sucking it clean.  
"I think I understand," Seven says with a smile. "Let me try."  
She takes the spoon and feeds Beverly, kissing her between bites.  
"Yes I think creme brûlée is one of my favorite foods now too," she says softly as she kisses Beverly again. "You taste amazing but that was true before the creme brûlée. I wish to taste your body again. May I do that? Please?"  
She wipes the rest of the dessert from the bowl with her finger and holds it out for Beverly to suck off.  
"Would you like to move to the bed for sex this time?" she asks, her voice husky.  
Beverly doesn't answer, she stands and takes Seven's hand, pulling her to her feet. She tries to bury her fingers in Seven's hair.  
"Can you take your hair down?" she asks. "I want to see you with your hair down."  
Seven reaches up and pulls out the pins holding her hair in its perfect French twist. Beverly smiles as her golden hair falls down around her shoulders.  
"You're beautiful," she whispers.  
Seven smiles, "a compliment..." she whispers back as she kisses Beverly passionately.

Beverly begins to move backward toward the bed, pulling Seven with her, unwilling to break away from the kiss. As they lie down, Seven begins her tasting journey down Beverly's neck while Beverly runs her fingers through her golden locks.

It's not long before Beverly is squirming under Seven's tender ministrations.  
"Beverly?" Seven asks softly.  
"May I put my fingers inside of you? I very much enjoyed when you put your fingers in me."  
"How about we do it together," Beverly says hoarsely.  
"An excellent idea. Perhaps we can time our orgasms to come at the same moment."  
"Gods I I love you," Beverly says spontaneously. If Seven hears and understands, she chooses not to comment and Beverly is too busy to think about what she just said.

The two women lie close, holding each other, Beverly's head on Seven's shoulder. She yawns.  
"You need to sleep," Seven tells her. "Today has been very exhausting."  
"It has, but it's been wonderful. I think one of the best days of my life.  
"Mine as well. I will never forget this day."  
"Will you stay the night? Sleep with me?"  
"I do not sleep. I will need to regenerate soon but I cannot do that until I return to Voyager. I would very much like to stay with you though. I think I will enjoy lying here while you sleep."  
"Ok. That's a little weird," Beverly says with a laugh. "But I like having you here. You are very comfortable."  
"That is a compliment?"  
"Very much so."  
"In that case, I find you very comfortable as well."

"So when are you going back to Voyager?" Beverly asks, trying to keep the anxiety she feels out of her voice.  
"I plan to return to my shuttle tomorrow. I will rendezvous with Voyager in three days. When do you return to the Enterprise?"  
"The same. I am supposed to leave tomorrow."  
"Then I suppose this will be the only night we will have to sleep together."  
"I suppose." Beverly says, surprised at how much she wants that not to be true. Seven surprises her again.  
"Will you miss me?"  
"I think I will. I've enjoyed getting to know you."  
"As have I. And the sex. I will miss that too. A great deal."  
Beverly laughs. "Yes. There is that. How about tomorrow I watch you masturbate, be sure you're doing it right, so you can do it yourself."  
"Only if you will show me the proper method first," Seven says with a smile.  
"Seven, you have a naughty mind," Beverly laughs.  
"Beverly Crusher you have no idea!" Seven laughs along.

The moment of humor passes and they both reflect on their feelings about the coming day.  
"I will miss you Seven. Can we stay in touch?"  
"I would very much like that," Seven says. "Perhaps we can meet again someday for another lesson."  
"Perhaps," Beverly says as she tries to stifle another yawn.  
"Sleep now my Beverly," Seven says softly as she kisses the top of Beverly head and pulls her arm tighter.  
"Dream not of today."


End file.
